The role of architectural research centers in addressing climate change

It is clear that an urgent, major transformation needs to happen in the design of the built environment to respond to impending climate change and other environmental degradation. This paper will explain the potential role of architectural research centers in this transformation and provide examples from the Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR) at the University of Minnesota. A research center can become a regional hub to coordinate and disseminate critical information. CSBR is leading the establishment of Architecture 2030 standards in Minnesota, assisting local governments in writing green building policy, providing design assistance to local government, developing tools to assist design decision making, providing technical assistance to the affordable housing community in Minnesota, and establishing a regional case study database that includes actual performance information. CSBR is creating a publicly accessible, credible knowledge base on new approaches, technologies and actual performance outcomes. Research centers such as CSBR can be a critical component of the necessary feedback loop often lacking in the building industry. A research center can also fill major gaps in providing in depth professional education as well as be a catalyst for demonstration projects and public education

The role of architectural research centers in addressing climate change

ABSTRACT: It is clear that an urgent, major transformation needs to happen in the design of the built environment to respond to impending climate change and other environmental degradation. This paper will explain the potential role of architectural research centers in this transformation and provide examples from the Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR) at the University of Minnesota. A research center can become a regional hub to coordinate and disseminate critical information. CSBR is leading the establishment of Architecture 2030 standards in Minnesota, assisting local governments in writing green building policy, providing design assistance to local government, developing tools to assist design decision making, providing technical assistance to the affordable housing community inMinnesota, and establishing a regional case study database that includes actual performance information. CSBR is creating a publicly accessible, credible knowledge base on new approaches, technologies and actual performance outcomes. Research centers such as CSBR can be a critical component of the necessary feedback loop often lacking in the building industry. A research center can also fill major gaps in providing in depth professional education as well as be a catalyst for demonstration projects and public education

Characterization in Sherwood Anderson's short stories

Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University This item was digitized by the Internet Archive

Healthcare Professional Roles: The Ontology Model for E-Learning

The paper aims to present the MEDeLEARN project, an ontology-driven virtual learning environment for Medical Information System training. The current training environment for healthcare professionals in the use of essential medical information systems in a large urban training hospital is based on conventional instructor-led training sessions. Problems arise due to the demanding nature of the hospital working environment, causing training to be cancelled or curtailed. This mode of training delivery is deemed to be inefficient and ineffective, with the danger of serious errors occurring as a consequence. The project investigates whether a virtual learning environment can address the competency gap that exists in the training of healthcare professionals in the use of medical information systems. It explores the role of andragogy (adult learning) in the design and development of reusable SCORM conformant Learning Objects (LOs) for this medical domain. The system architecture of the MEDeLEARN system comprises the competency model (an ontology) and a content repository composed of metadata and learning objects

Making It Last: Storage Time and Temperature Have Differential Impacts on Metabolite Profiles of Airway Samples from Cystic Fibrosis Patients.

Metabolites of human or microbial origin have the potential to be important biomarkers of the disease state in cystic fibrosis (CF). Clinical sample collection and storage conditions may impact metabolite abundances with clinical relevance. We measured the change in metabolite composition based on untargeted gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) when CF sputum samples were stored at 4°C, -20°C, or -80°C with one or two freeze-thaw cycles. Daily measurements were taken for 1 week and then weekly for 4 weeks (4°C) and 8 weeks (-20°C). The metabolites in samples stored at -20°C maintained abundances similar to those found at-80°C over the course of 8 weeks (average change in Bray-Curtis distance, 0.06 ± 0.04) and were also stable after one or two freeze-thaw cycles. However, the metabolite profiles of samples stored at 4°C shifted after 1 day and continued to change over the course of 4 weeks (average change in Bray-Curtis distance, 0.31 ± 0.12). The abundances of several amino acids and other metabolites increased with time of storage at 4°C but remained constant at -20°C. Storage temperature was a significant factor driving the metabolite composition (permutational multivariate analysis of variance: r2 = 0.32 to 0.49, P < 0.001). CF sputum samples stored at -20°C at the time of sampling maintain a relatively stable untargeted GC-MS profile. Samples should be frozen on the day of collection, as more than 1 day at 4°C impacts the global composition of the metabolites in the sample. IMPORTANCE Metabolomics has great potential for uncovering biomarkers of the disease state in CF and many other contexts. However, sample storage timing and temperature may alter the abundance of clinically relevant metabolites. To assess whether existing samples are stable and to direct future study design, we conducted untargeted GC-MS metabolomic analysis of CF sputum samples after one or two freeze-thaw cycles and storage at 4°C and -20°C for 4 to 8 weeks. Overall, storage at -20°C and freeze-thaw cycles had little impact on metabolite profiles; however, storage at 4°C shifted metabolite abundances significantly. GC-MS profiling will aid in our understanding of the CF lung, but care should be taken in studies using sputum samples to ensure that samples are properly stored